International bushmeat trade originating from West/Central Africa Introduction to species...

International bushmeat trade originatingfrom West/Central Africa

Introduction to species identification

Developed by the CITES Secretariat

GreenCustoms Knowledge Series No. 25

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Questions to answer

• Can species used in the bushmeat trade be identified? How?

• What are the main groups of species involved, and how can they be differentiated?

• What precautions are necessary when handling bushmeat?

• Where can assistance be found?

Bushmeat identification

• Can species used in the bushmeat trade be identified?

– Many species appearing in the bushmeat trade can be identified

– However, depending on the state of the specimen (for example, when dealing with dried or cooked/smoked meat), it may not be possible to identify to species level, or even to group level – unless laboratories are able to conduct detailed analyses (e.g. DNA profiling) and compare with reference samples


• How can species used in the bushmeat trade be identified?

– Inspection and comparison with reference materials, photographs etc., while looking for characteristic features

– Consultation with experts and national CITES authorities

– Assistance from specialized laboratories


• What is it?

• Where do I start?


• Start by considering the main groups

– Apes, monkeys– Elephant– Small carnivores– Small antelopes– Pangolins– Rodents– Snakes, lizards, tortoises– Birds


• How these appear in trade may be very different

– Whole carcasses, fresh, frozen, dried or smoked

– Cut pieces, fresh, frozen, dried or smoked

– Meat, dried or smoked

– Cooked items


• How can specimens be identified?

– Whole carcasses (fresh, frozen, dried/smoked)

– Parts (fresh, frozen, dried/smoked)

– Derivatives

• Which species are in highest demand internationally, and therefore more likely to be encountered by Customs?


• There may still be characteristic features that can be used in identification, even if the specimens are cut, dried, smoked or otherwise heavily modified in appearance

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Bonobo: face all black, unlike the Chimpanzee which has a pale or mottled face


• Main characteristics to look for

– Skull/head

– Body shape

– Fur/hair/scales

– Leg/feet/claws

– Tail length and shape

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Pangolin: Covered in thick scales, species can be identified by tail-body length, extent of scales on legs

Bushmeat – mammals and CITES

• In some cases it is easy to tell if CITES-listed species are involved

– All primates are included in Appendix I or II

– All wild cats are in Appendix I or II

• However, for other large groups used for bushmeat, it is not straightforward

– Duikers & chevrotains can be Appendix I, II, III or not listed

– Some commonly traded mammal species, such as porcupines and large rodents are not listed

Apes, monkeys

• Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)

– Large, tailless ape, dark brown to black with brighter face

– Face is bare, with pale, mottled or darkly pigmented skin

– White hairs grow on the chin in adults of both sexes

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Apes, monkeys

• Bonobo (Pan paniscus)

– Face black; lips reddish or pink, slender body, arms and legs proportionally longer than Chimpanzee; arms longer than legs

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Apes, monkeys

• Monkeys

– Drill, Mandrill (Appendix I)

• Largest monkeys, baboon-like (M: 81-90cm, F: 56-66cm)

• Mandrill male has the colorful face P

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Mandrill

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Apes, monkeys

• Colobus monkeys (all have very reduced thumbs)

– Black colobus (App. II)

• All black in coloration (58–72cm, tail 60–97cm, 6–11kg)

– King colobus (App. II)

• White only on whiskers, chest, and tail; tail not tufted)

King colobus

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Apes, monkeys

• Colobus monkeys (all have very reduced thumbs)

– Red colobus (App. II)

• Black from forehead over head, neck, shoulders, upper arms, along back to outer side of thighs; whiskers, forearms, legs and underparts bright red or orange; white triangular area on hindquarters

Red colobus

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Apes, monkeys

• Monkeys

– Guenons (Genus Cercopithecus)• Diana guenon (C. diana) App. I

• Red-bellied guenon (C. erythrogaster)

• Red-eared guenon (C. erythrotis)

• Owl faced monkey (C. hamlyni)

• De Brazza’s monkey (C. neglectus)

• Greater white-nosed monkey (C. nictitans)

• Crowned guenon (C. pogonias)

• Preuss’s guenon (C. preussi)

• Sclater’s guenon (C. sclateri)

• Sun tailed guenon (C. solatus)

Apes, monkeys

• Monkeys

– Guenons (Genus Cercopithecus)

• Characteristic shape, small size

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Apes, monkeys

• Monkeys

– Grey-cheeked mangabey (Lophocebus albigena)

• Generally black; crest has some brown posteriorly; short cheek hairs are greyish to whitish; shoulder mantle is grey with a brown tinge; thighs grey; underparts smoky grey.

– Black mangabey (Lophocebus aterrimus)

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Apes, monkeys

• Species?

Elephant

• Elephant meat may appear as large pieces of smoke-blackened meat

• It will generally be more expensive in relation to other meats on sale

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Small carnivores

• Civets, mongooses

– Carcasses will appear as somewhat cat- or weasel-like, with long pointed muzzles

African civet (Civettictis civetta)Appendix III

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Common Kusimanse (Crossarchus obscurus)Non-CITES

Small carnivores

• Palm civet (Nandinia binotata) Non-CITES

• Black-footed mongoose (Bdeogale nigripes) Non-CITES – 4 toes on each limb instead of 5

Skinned Palm civet

Small antelopes

• Jentink’s duiker (Cephalophus jentinki) Appendix I

• Ogilby’s duiker(C. ogilbyi) Appendix II

– Medium size, color golden brown; underparts paler; legs darker than the body; tail with grey tip; horns rather long (10cm+), conical, strongly ringed at the base

Small antelopes

• Yellow-backed duiker (C. sylvicultor) Appendix II

– Largest duiker with characteristic triangular yellow central patch on the back

– Horns smooth at the base, rather long (10cm+), bowed downwards P

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Small antelopes

• Blue duiker (C. monticola) Appendix II

– Very small; slate grey to dark brown, darker on the back with a bluish gloss; forehead dark brown; white streak running above the eye from the base of each horn to the muzzle; slit like opening of the suborbital gland below each eye is surrounded by bare skin patch; horns very small; tail long, black, bushy and fringed by white hairs; legs same as the body or tinged with rufous, sometimes bright rufous contrasting with the body

Small antelopes

• Banded duiker (C. zebra) Appendix II

– Small, 12 conspicuous transverse bands; horns tiny (3cm) almost concealed by the hairs of the crest, straight, smooth at the base

Small antelopes

• Water chevrotain (Hyemoschus aquaticus) App. III

– A small, compactly built and duiker-like; a hunched back; a spotted coat with lateral stripes; without horns or antlers; upper canines of the male long and sharp

Small antelopes

• Which species? What characteristics are visible?

Pangolins

• Pangolins have no teeth, and they eat ants and termites using their tongue

• Their bodies are covered in hard scales, and will curl into a ball as a defensive measure

• The African species can be differentiated by the length of their tails and the coverage of scales on their legs

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Pangolins

• Tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis)

– Tail longer than the body; scales on the forelegs do not extend to the toes

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Pangolins

• Tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis)


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Pangolins

• Tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis) – smoked


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Pangolins

• Giant pangolin (Manis gigantea)

– Tail not much longer than the body; scales on lower parts of fore and hind legs

Rodents

• Porcupines

– Brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus) Non-CITES

• One of the largest rodents in Africa; short spines, long tail, sharp incisors

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Rodents

• Porcupines

– Brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus) Non-CITES

– Spines still visibleon smoked carcass

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Rodents

• Porcupines

– Crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) Non-CITES

• Short tail, long spines, sharp incisors

• Greater cane rat, grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) Non-CITES

Rodents

Rodents

• Greater cane rat, grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) Non-CITES

– Short legs, visible incisors

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Snakes

• African rock python (Python sebae) App. II

– One of the largest snakes in the world

– Typically brown with olive and tan irregular blotching

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Lizards

• Ornate monitor (Varanus ornatus) and

Nile monitor (V. niloticus)

are very similar

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• Forest hinge-back tortoise (Kinixys erosa)

Appendix II

(Gradual slope along the back of the carapace)

• Home’s hinge-back tortoise (Kinixys homeana)

Appendix II

(Sharp downward angle along the back)

Tortoises

Birds

• Birds make up a small proportion of the bushmeat for sale in markets

– Light hollow bones, skull with beak

– Some feathers may still be present on carcasses

• Hornbills are among the birds most frequently reported in African bushmeat studies

Yellow-casqued Hornbill

Bushmeat handling

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Handling bushmeat specimens

• The handling of CITES specimens requires careful attention

• Dead specimens (such as bushmeat) can be dangerous to yourself and others, and can require specialized care and handling

• When in doubt, do not hesitate to call for specialized and experienced help from CITES authorities or other sources (such as zoo veterinarians and health experts)

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• Points to consider when handling bushmeat specimens:

– Availability of relevant documents - do you have all the information you need? Do you know the point of origin?

– Where to carry out the examination - do you have a secure place where any escapes can be immediately controlled?

– Storage facility - if you have to hold the specimens, do you have a suitable facility?

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– Health and safety concerns - are you and your colleagues trained to deal with bushmeat specimens?

– Do you have the right equipment to ensure the safety of yourself, others?

– Are you equipped to deal with cuts, scratches or other minor injuries?

– Do you have access to help and advice if needed?

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– Availability of experts - can you contact experts who are experienced in dealing with bushmeat?

– Do you have their contact details outside working hours?

– Other agencies - have you contacted other agencies that may need to be informed (such as the CITES Management Authority)?

– Do you have the contact details of people in charge outside working hours?

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Equipment

• It is important to keep basic equipment at hand

– Surgical gloves, face masks

– Antibacterial soap and detergents should be available for the handlers and the handling areas

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Health

• Be aware that bushmeat specimens may carry zoonoses, also called zoonotic disease, which are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans

• Remember, the risk of disease may be greater in illegally-traded specimens that have evaded veterinary or health checks and inspections

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Health

• Diseases carried by animals include Ebola, Marburg virus, hepatitis A and B, green monkey disease, simian deficiency virus (animal AIDS), monkeypox, aspergillosis, botulism, and salmonella

• There are well over 200 zoonotic diseases

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Health

• Some examples of zoonoses are:

– Salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, anthrax, brucellosis, E. coli, leptospirosis, plague, shigellosis and tularaemia, from bacteria

– Cysticercosis/taeniasis, echinococcosis/hydatidosis, toxoplasmosis and trematodosis, from parasites

– Q-fever and other Rickettsial diseases

– Rabies, avian influenza, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Ebola, and Rift Valley fever, from viruses

World Health OrganizationFind out more at http://www.who.int/zoonoses/en/

Assistance

Assistance

• Make sure you know who to contact in your country

– Health, veterinary departments for experts and technical advice

– CITES Management Authority (for CITES-listed species, assistance with identification)

– Non-Governmental organizations may be able to assist with identification and handling advice

Summary

• Many species appearing in the bushmeat trade can be identified

• For dried/smoked specimens it may not be possible to identify to species level, or even to group level – unless laboratories are able to conduct detailed analyses

• Some identification characteristics may remain, which can allow a distinction to be made between main groups of species in the bushmeat trade

• The main groups include apes and monkeys, small carnivores, small antelopes, pangolins, rodents, snakes, lizards, tortoises and birds

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Summary

• Main characteristics to look for include the skull/head/horns, body shape, fur/hair/scales, leg/feet/claws, and tail length and shape

• Dead specimens (such as bushmeat) can be dangerous to yourself and others, and can require specialized care and handling

• Safe handling of bushmeat requires training, information and equipment, and you may need to call upon specialized assistance

• Make sure you know who to contact in your country for assistance and advice

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CITES SecretariatGeneva

www.cites.org

International bushmeat trade originating from West/Central Africa Introduction to species...

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